Lessons Learned from 25 Years of Resistance and Remembrance
If There Is No Struggle, There Is No Progress *
Elevating Conversations on Environmental Justice: Exploring the Connection Between Climate Change and Conflict
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Through its Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation, ICSC publishes policy papers and facilitates panels on a range of cutting-edge human rights issues. Its latest policy paper, released in November 2024, examines the often overlooked ways that environmental degradation, including climate change and resource scarcity can serve as significant catalysts for conflict.
The policy paper, “Environmental and Transitional Justice,” available here , describes how environmental stressors exacerbate existing political and economic instabilities, creating conditions ripe for social unrest and violent conflict. Stressors include resource scarcity – driven by factors such as desertification and unpredictable rainfall patterns – which can intensify competition over essential resources like water and arable land. Other critical factors include economic disruption caused by environmental changes that devastate traditional livelihoods, as seen in coastal areas affected by sea-level rise or regions impacted by the loss of vital water bodies like the Aral Sea. Finally, forced migration due to environmental disasters or gradual changes can strain resources in receiving areas, potentially sparking conflicts, as seen in Bangladesh and the Horn of Africa. The policy paper provides in-depth case studies of Bangladesh, Liberia and Sudan, as well as a set of recommendations to support practitioners and policy makers working at the intersection of environmental and transitional justice. All of GIJTR’s policy papers and resources are available to the public and can be viewed and shared here .
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